Fighting Between Russia and Georgia (the country)

[Derek The Infamous]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/10/world/europe/10georgia.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Was discussing this with someone at an auction today. It's beginning to get very serious and violent. There's already been over 2,000 deaths. The man I was speaking with thinks this could turn into World War 3 if China keeps its vow to back Russia in this struggle.

Thoughts?

[Dean]

Good thing you put "the country" in brackets, for a moment there I thought you meant this girl I knew in year 8 :P


...in all seriousness though, this has me kind of pessimistic to say the least.


“Georgia is a sovereign nation, and its territorial integrity must be respected,” Mr. Bush said in a hastily arranged appearance at his hotel in Beijing. “We have urged an immediate halt to the violence and a stand-down by all troops. We call for the end of the Russian bombings.”
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[Messy Marj]

:\
Yes.

Why the fuck does America feel like it needs to 'help' with ANYTHING that's wrong in the world? Yes, 'blah blah blah, we're a great nation! we have alot of influence.' It's just stupid, go make your economy better instead of finding an opportunity to let the rest of the world hate you. Just...mind your own business. o.o

[El Muerto]

It's practically the same to the situation we have in Kosovo. The main difference is that now Russia is for independence of another country's territory and US want to respect territorial integrity.
There's no right and wrong anymore, only personal interests. While they're playing their game of risk ordinary people will suffer. Fuck that.

[Dedicated]

I've been away so I'm not completely up to date but from what I heard, Georgia asked for America's help. So what you're saying is too hasty. Also, I'm not one to back Bush but if there is a threat of a World War I'd like to know that the USA aknowledges that there's a threat and tries to do something rather than backing down and not doing a thing.

[El Muerto]

Well we also asked for Russia's help.. But anyway, I don't think there will be a WWIII. At least not now and directly caused by this. Ossetia will gain independence from Georgia, Russia will acknowledge it, USA won't, there will be debates about it in UNSC and that's it.

And yeah, there's also a theory that all this was directed by the US, as a means of testing how far is Russia willing to go in their military action and also further destabilizing the area and preparing more wars in the middle east (Iran will be attacked soon, the rumor has it). Anything is possible today.

[Dean]

What I meant is that Bush doesn't seem very well-versed in that sort of thing himself. Sorry if there are any American members who don't like foreigners saying that sort of thing, I'll leave it alone now.

[Timothy]

I'm not the most knowledgeable on this issue, so I'll shy away from any sort of definitive assessment of the situation at hand. I just hope it doesn't escalate much further and have more people lose their lives.

[Messy Marj]

I've been away so I'm not completely up to date but from what I heard, Georgia asked for America's help. So what you're saying is too hasty. Also, I'm not one to back Bush but if there is a threat of a World War I'd like to know that the USA aknowledges that there's a threat and tries to do something rather than backing down and not doing a thing.
Sorry, you're right. Guess I got carried away. xD
I don't believe this will turn into a WW3, at all. And if it was, ofcourse it'd be nice if countries aknowledge it, but then there's the question if it's handy to involve America, they easily drop bombs and destroy innocent lives. -.-

[El Muerto]

brighter side

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/aug/10/olympicsshooting.olympics2008

[Dean]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7557457.stm

[Harlz]

I saw it on the news on Sunday, and no joke, this was basically how it was worded.

"Australia has won another 2 gold medals in *insert sports* and 1,500 people are dead in Georgia."

There wasn't even a pause between the two stories, and the the Russia/Georgia conflict wasn't eben the lead story.
The media gives me the shits.

[Chris(tmas)]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7557457.stm
While Russian tanks have taken the city Gori which is IN Georgia itself.

Hellooooo Bush, you have some other war to win. Concentrate on that war first.

[Linja]

I don't like this situation at all. And I may not know much about it, but I don't like the fact that on a news channel, the moment an American citizen (living in South Ossetia, but rescued) started to say "Thanks to the Russian soldiers", she was cut off and ads came on. I don't like that this happened twice, with two different people. This is beginning to look heavily biased towards Georgia, and Saakashvili.

Not only Georgians are dying, but Russian peacemakers, as well. Remember what this started with? 17 peacemakers dead, 70 injured. But yeah, okay, maybe I'm biased. I just want all this ridiculous fighting to stop. World peace, anyone?

This (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ0y8NlFivc) video may seem interesting. It's the Georgian President, Mikhail Saakashvili, running for his life. He saw a helicopter - a plain helicopter, nothing suspicious going on - and pushed through the crowd of journalists he was being interviewed by, and ran for his life, leaving his bodyguards, the journalists, and everyone else who was with him, behind. Cowardly behaviour, in my opinion.

[Arashi]

Wow. Looks like he doesn't care for anyone BUT himself.


:/

[Linja]

Exactly! That's horribly unbecoming behaviour for a person of his status.

[Arashi]

And... he knows that people are ready to give their lives up for him. I mean, firstly he is 'hiding' in an open field. He's only secured by the people who are willing to sacrifice themselves.


Or maybe it's just me.

[Linja]

I think he was just overtaken by blind panic. It's weird. I mean, the bodyguards are there for a reason, no?

[Todd]

http://failblog.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/fail-owned-geography-fail2.jpg

[Linja]

Oh, for crying out loud. Good lord. >_<:lol:

[Dr. Octogonapus]

We made it through the Cold War without a single shot being fired, and now this is probably going to get us into a war with Russia.

God, I hate this country.

[Krendel']

Why do you hate my country ?
If USA want war, you'll get it, but you have to know - this war can destroy all the life on this f*cking earth and only USA will be guilty in this.
In Russia noone want the war. We had Great Patriotic War and some local conflicts. We saw the BLOOD and PAIN. USA never had serious wars on your territory and you don't know what it is, although you send your soldiers to die in Afghanistan and Iraq.
On my mind, if you hate Russia - you hate these soldiers, which died for your country.

[Dr. Octogonapus]

Why do you hate my country ?
If USA want war, you'll get it, but you have to know - this war can destroy all the life on this f*cking earth and only USA will be guilty in this.
In Russia noone want the war. We had Great Patriotic War and some local conflicts. We saw the BLOOD and PAIN. USA never had serious wars on your territory and you don't know what it is, although you send your soldiers to die in Afghanistan and Iraq.
On my mind, if you hate Russia - you hate these soldiers, which died for your country.

I never said I hated your country. I said I hate MY country.

[Krendel']

Oh... Sorry... Excuse me, I did mistake.
I always hope that usual americans people want just PEACE ...

[Linja]

Успокойся =]. Dude, we all want peace. It just... doesn't happen to be working out at the moment.

[El Muerto]

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iUA357W77ndvCMh32VlQqdGj53mAD92Q57EO1

Yeah we all saw it coming just as we all see WWIII coming soon.
Damn, who would've thought ancient Mayans were right when they predicted the world will end in 2012..

[Dean]

Oh my fucking life.

[lpboarder]

Where is Code Pink and all the "No War for Oil!" fanatics now?

I'm guessing at some point someone in Russia will point at the US and claim we did the same thing by invading Iraq. Let's not kid ourselves, Russia wants to control as much free flowing oil as they can. The parallels with our own unpopular war in Iraq are crazy. If things get real ugly......the comparisons will be thrown out I'm sure.

[Will]

So anyone want to move to the moon?

[lpboarder]

So anyone want to move to the moon?

I was holding out for Mars myself but time to change those plans.

[Linja]

Some time next week, I'll link you all to an article in the Moscow Times, which pretty much adequately explains the situation. It's also superbly written.

(I was planning on escaping to Pluto a long time ago, but since that's no longer a planet...)

[Messy Marj]

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/08/28/russia.georgia.cold.war/index.html#cnnSTCVideo

Interesting.

[Penny]

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/08/28/russia.georgia.cold.war/index.html#cnnSTCVideo

Interesting.

"Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has accused the United States of orchestrating the conflict in Georgia to benefit one of its presidential election candidates."

I think he's right.

[Messy Marj]

Yup, pretty much.

[tranquill]

Russia-Georgia conflict created a big headache for Israel which armed and trained Georgians for years - and now suddenly Russians threaten retaliation by supplying S-300 SAM batteries to Syria. Here is what a prominent Israeli analyst says: http://samsonblinded.org/blog/on-russia-georgia-and-israel.htm

[lpboarder]

"Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has accused the United States of orchestrating the conflict in Georgia to benefit one of its presidential election candidates."

I think he's right.

Once a KGB, always the KGB. ;)

[Theazninvasion68]

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/08/28/russia.georgia.cold.war/index.html#cnnSTCVideo

Interesting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg-GX-XtRkY

Yeah, Putin's right.



EDIT: this too http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmpcDlube2k



..Imo =o

[Linja]

http://www.mnweekly.ru/columnists/20080814/55342087.html <-- The promised article.